'Bad Day' Comment After Spa Shootings Brings Criticism Of Officer

CHEROKEE COUNTY, GA — Cherokee County Sheriff's Office Captain Jay Baker has been criticized by media pundits, advocates for Asian Americans and others after his comment that the accused Atlanta massage parlor shooter was having "a bad day."

During a press conference on Wednesday, Baker discussed how Robert Aaron Long, 21, of Woodstock, admitted to killing eight people and blamed the massage parlors for fueling his sex addiction.

"He was fed up, at the end of his rope," Baker said at the news conference Wednesday morning. "Yesterday was a really bad day for him, and that's what he did."

After that comment was made, social media and several news outlets debated if his comment was too flippant and downplayed the severity of the mass shootings in Atlanta and Cherokee County.

GA State Rep. Bee Nguyen told CNN that, "I think that our country has always been reluctant to admit that systemic racism is a real problem that can be deadly."

"It wasn’t a bad day. It was a brutal and violent crime in which racism, misogyny, gender-based violence, and lax gun laws intersect," Nguyen said on Twitter.

Other elected officials echoed Nguyen's statement.

"All of us have experienced bad days,” tweeted Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.). “But we don’t go to three Asian businesses and shoot up Asian employees.”

But Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, who was at that press conference on Wednesday when Baker made that comment, had a different outlook.

"That was not the impression that I got in our pre-meeting," Bottoms said on CNN Wednesday night. "There was sympathy for the victims and a lot of compassion. In Cherokee County, I believe they had one murder last year, and they had a mass shooting last night. This was a big day for all of us and for Cherokee County. There was sympathy and empathy for the victims and their families. Maybe he could have said it better but what we have to focus on is that this man is off the streets."

A look at Baker's now-deleted Facebook page also showed he shared an image of a T-shirt with controversial language regarding the coronavirus and China. USA Today reports Baker's Facebook page also showed a photo of him outside the Cherokee Sheriff's Office.

On Thursday, the department released a statement from Cherokee Sheriff Frank Reynolds.

"During the joint press conference, our goal, as always, was to provide as much information as possible without compromising the ongoing investigation while showing respect for the victims and their families," Reynolds said in the release. "Comments made by Cherokee County Sheriff's Office Captain Jay Baker have become the subject of much debate and anger. In as much as his words were taken or construed as insensitive or inappropriate, they were not intended to disrespect any of the victims, the gravity of this tragedy, or express empathy or sympathy for the suspect."

Reynolds said he has no words to describe the "degree of human suffering" during the shootings on Tuesday.

"Captain Baker had a difficult task before him, and this was one of the hardest in his 28 years in law enforcement," Reynolds said. "I have known and served with Captain Baker for many years. His personal ties to the Asian community and his unwavering support and commitment to the citizens of Cherokee County are well known to many. On behalf of the dedicated women and men of the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office, we regret any heartache Captain Baker's words may have caused."

According to the Cherokee Sheriff's Office's website, "Baker is a lifelong resident of Cherokee County and has worked for the Cherokee Sheriff’s Office for more than 26 years. Prior to becoming the agency’s Public Information Officer, Captain Baker worked in the Adult Detention Center, Uniform Patrol Division, the Cherokee Multi-Agency Narcotics Squad and in Criminal Investigations. Captain Baker is the Director of Communications and Community Relations for the agency."

Shootings, Capture Of Long

Authorities arrested Long after disabling his vehicle in Crisp County, Georgia, more than 180 miles south of Acworth.

Long was charged in connection with the shooting at Young's Asian Massage in Acworth, and at the Aroma Therapy Spa and the Gold Spa in Atlanta on Tuesday afternoon.

Cherokee County Sheriff's Office detectives said they were able to track Long's movements via GPS as he was traveling south on Interstate 75. Reynolds contacted Crisp County Sheriff Billy Hancock. Crisp County sheriff's deputies, along with the Georgia State Patrol, were waiting for Long as he entered Crisp County.

After a short pursuit, a "PIT maneuver" was conducted on Long's vehicle, and he was taken into custody without incident.

A 9 mm firearm was found during the traffic stop, authorities said.

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Long was taken to the Cherokee County Adult Detention Center on Wednesday morning. He is currently charged with four counts of murder and one count of aggravated assault, and has no bond, officials said.

Atlanta police Sgt. John Chafee confirmed Long is a suspect in all three shootings.

"Video footage from our Video Integration Center places the Cherokee County suspect's vehicle in the area, around the time of our Piedmont Road shootings," Chafee said. "That, along with video evidence viewed by investigators, suggests it is extremely likely our suspect is the same as Cherokee County's, who is in custody. Because of this, an investigator from APD is in Cherokee County and we are working closely with them to confirm with certainty our cases are related."

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